Questions

Question ID 97e5bf55
Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty
SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

Connections
ID: 97e5bf55
Text 1
In 1916, H. Dugdale Sykes disputed claims that The Two Noble Kinsmen was coauthored by William Shakespeare and John
Fletcher. Sykes felt Fletcher’s contributions to the play were obvious—Fletcher had a distinct style in his other plays, so much
so that lines with that style were considered sufficient evidence of Fletcher’s authorship. But for the lines not deemed to be
by Fletcher, Sykes felt that their depiction of women indicated that their author was not Shakespeare but Philip Massinger.
Text 2
Scholars have accepted The Two Noble Kinsmen as coauthored by Shakespeare since the 1970s: it appears in all major one-
volume editions of Shakespeare’s complete works. Though scholars disagree about who wrote what exactly, it is generally
held that on the basis of style, Shakespeare wrote all of the first act and most of the last, while John Fletcher authored most
of the three middle acts.
Based on the texts, both Sykes in Text 1 and the scholars in Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement?
A. John Fletcher’s writing has a unique, readily identifiable style.
B. The women characters in John Fletcher’s plays are similar to the women characters in Philip Massinger’s plays.
C. The Two Noble Kinsmen belongs in one-volume compilations of Shakespeare’s complete plays.
D. Philip Massinger’s style in the first and last acts of The Two Noble Kinsmen is an homage to Shakespeare’s style.
Question ID 02fd3da7

Connections
ID: 02fd3da7
Text 1
Public policy researcher Anthony Fowler studied the history of elections in Australia, a country that requires citizens to vote.
Fowler argues that requiring citizens to vote leads to a significant increase in voters who would otherwise not have the time
or motivation to vote. Thus, election results in countries that require citizens to vote better reflect the preferences of the
country as a whole.
Text 2
Governments in democratic countries function better when more people vote. However, forcing people to vote may have
negative consequences. Shane P. Singh and Jason Roy studied what happens when a country requires its citizens to vote.
They found that when people feel forced to vote, they tend to spend less time looking for information about their choices
when voting. As a result, votes from these voters may not reflect their actual preferences.
Based on the texts, how would Singh and Roy (Text 2) most likely respond to the research discussed in Text 1?
A. Only countries of a certain population size should implement mandatory voting.
People who are forced to vote are likely to become politically engaged in other ways, such as volunteering or running for
B. office.
Requiring people to vote does not necessarily lead to election outcomes that better represent the preferences of the
C. country as a whole.
D. Countries that require voting must also make the process of voting easier for their citizens.
Question ID 105ea6de

Connections
ID: 105ea6de
Text 1
Growth in the use of novel nanohybrids—materials created from the conjugation of multiple distinct nanomaterials, such as
iron oxide and gold nanomaterials conjugated for use in magnetic imaging—has outpaced studies of nanohybrids’
environmental risks. Unfortunately, risk evaluations based on nanohybrids’ constituents are not reliable: conjugation may
alter constituents’ physiochemical properties such that innocuous nanomaterials form a nanohybrid that is anything but.
Text 2
The potential for enhanced toxicity of nanohybrids relative to the toxicity of constituent nanomaterials has drawn deserved
attention, but the effects of nanomaterial conjugation vary by case. For instance, it was recently shown that a nanohybrid of
silicon dioxide and zinc oxide preserved the desired optical transparency of zinc oxide nanoparticles while mitigating the
nanoparticles’ potential to damage DNA.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the assertion in the underlined portion of Text 1?
By concurring that the risk described in Text 1 should be evaluated but emphasizing that the risk is more than offset by
A. the potential benefits of nanomaterial conjugation
By arguing that the situation described in Text 1 may not be representative but conceding that the effects of
B. nanomaterial conjugation are harder to predict than researchers had expected
By denying that the circumstance described in Text 1 is likely to occur but acknowledging that many aspects of
C. nanomaterial conjugation are still poorly understood
By agreeing that the possibility described in Text 1 is a cause for concern but pointing out that nanomaterial conjugation
D. does not inevitably produce that result
Question ID c4737d6a

Connections
ID: c4737d6a
Text 1
Africa’s Sahara region—once a lush ecosystem—began to dry out about 8,000 years ago. A change in Earth’s orbit that
affected climate has been posited as a cause of desertification, but archaeologist David Wright also attributes the shift to
Neolithic peoples. He cites their adoption of pastoralism as a factor in the region drying out: the pastoralists’ livestock
depleted vegetation, prompting the events that created the Sahara Desert.
Text 2
Research by Chris Brierley et al. challenges the idea that Neolithic peoples contributed to the Sahara’s desertification. Using
a climate-vegetation model, the team concluded that the end of the region’s humid period occurred 500 years earlier than
previously assumed. The timing suggests that Neolithic peoples didn’t exacerbate aridity in the region but, in fact, may have
helped delay environmental changes with practices (e.g., selective grazing) that preserved vegetation.
Based on the texts, how would Chris Brierley (Text 2) most likely respond to the discussion in Text 1?
By pointing out that given the revised timeline for the end of the Sahara’s humid period, the Neolithic peoples’ mode of
A. subsistence likely didn’t cause the region’s desertification
By claiming that pastoralism was only one of many behaviors the Neolithic peoples took part in that may have
B. contributed to the Sahara’s changing climate
C. By insisting that pastoralism can have both beneficial and deleterious effects on a region’s vegetation and climate
By asserting that more research needs to be conducted into factors that likely contributed to the desertification of the
D. Sahara region
Question ID a87c3925

Connections
ID: a87c3925
Text 1
Soy sauce, made from fermented soybeans, is noted for its umami flavor. Umami—one of the five basic tastes along with
sweet, bitter, salty, and sour—was formally classified when its taste receptors were discovered in the 2000s. In 2007, to
define the pure umami flavor scientists Rie Ishii and Michael O’Mahony used broths made from shiitake mushrooms and
kombu seaweed, and two panels of Japanese and US judges closely agreed on a description of the taste.
Text 2
A 2022 experiment by Manon Jünger et al. led to a greater understanding of soy sauce’s flavor profile. The team initially
presented a mixture of compounds with low molecular weights to taste testers who found it was not as salty or bitter as real
soy sauce. Further analysis of soy sauce identified proteins, including dipeptides, that enhanced umami flavor and also
contributed to saltiness. The team then made a mix of 50 chemical compounds that re-created soy sauce’s flavor.
Based on the texts, if Ishii and O’Mahony (Text 1) and Jünger et al. (Text 2) were aware of the findings of both experiments,
they would most likely agree with which statement?
On average, the diets of people in the United States tend to have fewer foods that contain certain dipeptides than the
A. diets of people in Japan have.
Chemical compounds that activate both the umami and salty taste receptors tend to have a higher molecular weight than
B. those that only activate umami taste receptors.
Fermentation introduces proteins responsible for the increase of umami flavor in soy sauce, and those proteins also
C. increase the perception of saltiness.
The broths in the 2007 experiment most likely did not have a substantial amount of the dipeptides that played a key part
D. in the 2022 experiment.
Question ID 8d802289

Connections
ID: 8d802289
Text 1
Dance choreographer Alvin Ailey’s deep admiration for jazz music can most clearly be felt in the rhythms and beats his
works were set to. Ailey collaborated with some of the greatest jazz legends, like Charles Mingus, Charlie Parker, and
perhaps his favorite, Duke Ellington. With his choice of music, Ailey helped bring jazz to life for his audiences.
Text 2
Jazz is present throughout Ailey’s work, but it’s most visible in Ailey’s approach to choreography. Ailey often incorporated
improvisation, a signature characteristic of jazz music, in his work. When managing his dance company, Ailey rarely forced
his dancers to an exact set of specific moves. Instead, he encouraged his dancers to let their own skills and experiences
shape their performances, as jazz musicians do.
Based on the texts, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?
A. Dancers who worked with Ailey greatly appreciated his supportive approach as a choreographer.
B. Ailey’s work was strongly influenced by jazz.
C. Audiences were mostly unfamiliar with the jazz music in Ailey’s works.
D. Ailey blended multiple genres of music together when choreographing dance pieces.
Question ID 7bf79a90

Connections
ID: 7bf79a90
Text 1
Microbes are tiny organisms in the soil, water, and air all around us. They thrive even in very harsh conditions. That’s why
Noah Fierer and colleagues were surprised when soil samples they collected from an extremely cold, dry area in Antarctica
didn’t seem to contain any life. The finding doesn’t prove that there are no microbes in that area, but the team says it does
suggest that the environment severely restricts microbes’ survival.
Text 2
Microbes are found in virtually every environment on Earth. So it’s unlikely they would be completely absent from Fierer’s
team’s study site, no matter how extreme the environment is. There were probably so few organisms in the samples that
current technology couldn’t detect them. But since a spoonful of typical soil elsewhere might contain billions of microbes,
the presence of so few in the Antarctic soil samples would show how challenging the conditions are.
Based on the texts, Fierer’s team and the author of Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement about microbes?
Most microbes are better able to survive in environments with extremely dry conditions than in environments with harsh
A. temperatures.
A much higher number of microbes would probably be found if another sample of soil were taken from the Antarctic
B. study site.
Microbes are likely difficult to detect in the soil at the Antarctic study site because they tend to be smaller than microbes
C. found in typical soil elsewhere.
D. Most microbes are probably unable to withstand the soil conditions at the Antarctic study site.
Question ID 835d1ae6

Connections
ID: 835d1ae6
Text 1
Historians studying pre-Inca Peru have looked to ceramic vessels to understand daily life among the Moche people. These
mold-made sculptures present plants, animals, and human faces in precise ways—vessels representing human faces are so
detailed that scholars have interpreted facial markings to represent scars and other skin irregularities. Some historians have
even used these objects to identify potential skin diseases that may have afflicted people at the time.
Text 2
Art historian and archaeologist Lisa Trever has argued that the interpretation of Moche “portrait” vessels as hyper-realistic
portrayals of identifiable people may inadvertently disregard the creativity of the objects’ creators. Moche ceramic vessels,
Trever argues, are artworks in which sculptors could free their imagination, using realistic objects and people around them
as inspiration to explore more abstract concepts.
Based on the texts, what would Lisa Trever (Text 2) most likely say about the interpretation presented in the underlined
portion of Text 1?
A. Depictions of human faces are significantly more realistic than depictions of plants and other animals are.
It is likely that some depictions of human faces with extensive markings are intended to portray the same historical
B. individual.
C. Some vessels may have been damaged during their excavation and thus provide little insight into Moche culture.
Markings on depictions of human faces are not necessarily intended to portray particular details about the physical
D. appearance of individuals.
Question ID 81da17d3

Connections
ID: 81da17d3
Text 1
Italian painters in the 1500s rarely depicted themselves in their work. Even more rare were self-portrait paintings that
portrayed the artist as a painter. At the time, painting was not yet respected as a profession, so painters mostly chose to
emphasize other qualities in their self-portraits, like their intellect or social status. In the city of Bologna, the first artist to
depict themself painting was a man named Annibale Carracci. A painting of his from around 1585 shows Carracci in front of
an easel holding a palette.
Text 2
In their self-portraits, Bolognese artists typically avoided referring to the act of painting until the mid-1600s. However, Lavinia
Fontana’s 1577 painting, Self-Portrait at the Keyboard, stands out as the earliest example of such a work by an artist from
Bologna. Although the artist is depicted playing music, in the background, one can spot a painting easel by a window.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined claim in Text 1?
A. Carracci and Fontana were among the most well-respected painters in Bologna at the time.
B. The depiction of Fontana in Self-Portrait at the Keyboard was intended to underscore the artist’s creativity.
C. Fontana likely inspired the reference to an easel and palette in Carracci’s painting.
D. Self-Portrait at the Keyboard was painted earlier than Carracci’s painting and also refers to the artist’s craft.
Question ID d6c77ae5

Connections
ID: d6c77ae5
Text 1
Astronomer Mark Holland and colleagues examined four white dwarfs—small, dense remnants of past stars—in order to
determine the composition of exoplanets that used to orbit those stars. Studying wavelengths of light in the white dwarf
atmospheres, the team reported that traces of elements such as lithium and sodium support the presence of exoplanets
with continental crusts similar to Earth’s.
Text 2
Past studies of white dwarf atmospheres have concluded that certain exoplanets had continental crusts. Geologist Keith
Putirka and astronomer Siyi Xu argue that those studies unduly emphasize atmospheric traces of lithium and other
individual elements as signifiers of the types of rock found on Earth. The studies don’t adequately account for different
minerals made up of various ratios of those elements, and the possibility of rock types not found on Earth that contain those
minerals.
Based on the texts, how would Putirka and Xu (Text 2) most likely characterize the conclusion presented in Text 1?
A. As unexpected, because it was widely believed at the time that white dwarf exoplanets lack continental crusts
As premature, because researchers have only just begun trying to determine what kinds of crusts white dwarf exoplanets
B. had
As questionable, because it rests on an incomplete consideration of potential sources of the elements detected in white
C. dwarf atmospheres
As puzzling, because it’s unusual to successfully detect lithium and sodium when analyzing wavelengths of light in white
D. dwarf atmospheres
Question ID 8de51658

Connections
ID: 8de51658
Text 1
The idea that time moves in only one direction is instinctively understood, yet it puzzles physicists. According to the second
law of thermodynamics, at a macroscopic level some processes of heat transfer are irreversible due to the production of
entropy—after a transfer we cannot rewind time and place molecules back exactly where they were before, just as we cannot
unbreak dropped eggs. But laws of physics at a microscopic or quantum level hold that those processes should be
reversible.
Text 2
In 2015, physicists Tiago Batalhão et al. performed an experiment in which they confirmed the irreversibility of
thermodynamic processes at a quantum level, producing entropy by applying a rapidly oscillating magnetic field to a system
of carbon-13 atoms in liquid chloroform. But the experiment “does not pinpoint ... what causes [irreversibility] at the
microscopic level,” coauthor Mauro Paternostro said.
Based on the texts, what would the author of Text 1 most likely say about the experiment described in Text 2?
It would suggest an interesting direction for future research were it not the case that two of the physicists who
A. conducted the experiment disagree on the significance of its findings.
It provides empirical evidence that the current understanding of an aspect of physics at a microscopic level must be
B. incomplete.
C. It is consistent with the current understanding of physics at a microscopic level but not at a macroscopic level.
It supports a claim about an isolated system of atoms in a laboratory, but that claim should not be extrapolated to a
D. general claim about the universe.
Question ID 059f7201

Connections
ID: 059f7201
Text 1
Graphic novels are increasingly popular in bookstores and libraries, but they shouldn’t be classified as literature. By definition,
literature tells a story or conveys meaning through language only; graphic novels tell stories through illustrations and use
language only sparingly, in captions and dialogue. Graphic novels are experienced as series of images and not as language,
making them more similar to film than to literature.
Text 2
Graphic novels present their stories through both language and images. Without captions and dialogue, readers would be
unable to understand what is depicted in the illustrations: the story results from the interaction of text and image. Moreover,
Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home and many other graphic novels feature text that is as beautifully written as the prose found in
many standard novels. Therefore, graphic novels qualify as literary texts.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the overall argument presented in Text 1?
A. By asserting that language plays a more important role in graphic novels than the author of Text 1 recognizes
B. By acknowledging that the author of Text 1 has identified a flaw that is common to all graphic novels
By suggesting that the story lines of certain graphic novels are more difficult to understand than the author of Text 1
C. claims
D. By agreeing with the author of Text 1 that most graphic novels aren’t as well crafted as most literary works are
Question ID 4b4ab04e

Connections
ID: 4b4ab04e
Text 1
Mycoprotein is a fungal biomass that can be eaten as an alternative to meat. Studies of the environmental impact of its
manufacture generally agree it is lower than that of beef and closer to that of chicken or pork. But the expense of producing
mycoprotein restricts its availability to a few countries with postindustrial economies. Knowing that cost reductions would
expand access to mycoprotein, biochemists are exploring solutions, such as a cheaper substrate to feed the mycoprotein as
it grows.
Text 2
Cattle farming is a principal cause of global deforestation, and a study by Florian Humpenöder and his colleagues found that
replacing 20% of beef consumption worldwide with consumption of mycoprotein would cut deforestation by half if
accomplished over the next thirty years. However, this would likely involve only a small change in agricultural water
consumption, since water once dedicated to raising cattle would be diverted to raising crops instead.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 1 most likely respond to the study findings mentioned in Text 2?
By emphasizing that since agricultural water consumption would remain static in the event of replacing beef
consumption with mycoprotein consumption, an effort must be made to substitute mycoprotein for chicken and pork in
A. diets as well
By asserting that the development of a more inexpensive substrate for mycoprotein production would contribute to the
B. goal of decreasing worldwide deforestation over time
By noting that most people would be more likely to use mycoprotein as a substitute for chicken or pork in their diets than
C. as a substitute for beef
By pointing out that some countries are responsible for greater deforestation than others and thus, to have any
D. significant effect on the environment, will have to replace more than 20% of their beef consumption with mycoprotein
Question ID ed52a093

Connections
ID: ed52a093
Text 1
Flamingos are known for their vibrant pink coloring, but they’re actually born with gray feathers. Their pink color comes from
eating brine shrimp, but brine shrimp aren’t naturally pink either. Animals can’t produce carotenoids, the pigments that
provide the pink hue. The algae that brine shrimp feed on, however, can produce these pigments. Thus, the pinker the
flamingo, the more shrimp it has eaten.
Text 2
Ecologist Juan Amat has found that flamingos apply a kind of makeup to make themselves appear pinker. A gland near their
tail contains pigments that come from the food they eat. When the flamingos groom themselves using the pigments, their
feathers become pinker. Flamingos may do this to improve their success during mating season, when they would benefit
from looking pinker.
Based on the texts, how would the ecologist in Text 2 most likely respond to the author’s conclusion in Text 1?
A. By emphasizing that flamingos’ tail feathers are pinker than their other feathers are
B. By claiming that the coloring of flamingos’ feathers doesn’t change significantly enough for most observers to notice
C. By pointing out that the amount of shrimp eaten isn’t the only thing that influences flamingos’ coloring
D. By arguing that flamingos’ diet doesn’t include much shrimp except during mating season
Question ID e1befb41

Connections
ID: e1befb41
Text 1
In a study of the benefits of having free time, Marissa Sharif found that the reported sense of life satisfaction tended to
plateau when participants had two hours of free time per day and actually began to fall when they had five hours of free time
per day. After further research, Sharif concluded that this dip in life satisfaction mainly occurred when individuals spent all
their free time unproductively, such as by watching TV or playing games.
Text 2
Psychologist James Maddux cautions against suggesting an ideal amount of free time. The human desire for both free time
and productivity is universal, but Maddux asserts that individuals have unique needs for life satisfaction. Furthermore, he
points out that there is no objective definition for what constitutes productivity; reading a book might be considered a
productive activity by some, but idleness by others.
Based on the texts, how would Maddux (Text 2) most likely respond to the conclusion Sharif (Text 1) reached after her
further research?
By acknowledging that free time is more likely to enhance life satisfaction when it is spent productively than when it is
A. spent unproductively
By challenging the reasoning in Text 1, as it has not been proved that productivity commonly contributes to individuals’
B. life satisfaction
By warning against making an overly broad assumption, as there is no clear consensus in distinguishing between
C. productive and unproductive activities
By claiming that the specific activities named in Text 1 are actually examples of productive activities rather than
D. unproductive ones
Question ID c68ceeff

Connections
ID: c68ceeff
Text 1
Today the starchy root cassava is found in many dishes across West Africa, but its rise to popularity was slow. Portuguese
traders brought cassava from Brazil to the West African coast in the 1500s. But at this time, people living in the capitals
further inland had little contact with coastal communities. Thus, cassava remained relatively unknown to most of the
region’s inhabitants until the 1800s.
Text 2
Cassava’s slow adoption into the diet of West Africans is mainly due to the nature of the crop itself. If not cooked properly,
cassava can be toxic. Knowledge of how to properly prepare cassava needed to spread before the food could grow in
popularity. The arrival of formerly enslaved people from Brazil in the 1800s, who brought their knowledge of cassava and its
preparation with them, thus directly fueled the spread of this crop.
Based on the texts, the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 would most likely agree with which statement?
A. Cassava did not become a significant crop in West Africa until long after it was first introduced.
B. Several of the most commonly grown crops in West Africa are originally from Brazil.
C. The climate of the West African coast in the 1500s prevented cassava’s spread in the region.
D. The most commonly used methods to cook cassava today date to the 1500s.
Question ID f3c45b4f

Connections
ID: f3c45b4f
Text 1
Fossils of the hominin Australopithecus africanus have been found in the Sterkfontein Caves of South Africa, but assigning
an age to the fossils is challenging because of the unreliability of dating methods in this context. The geology of Sterkfontein
has caused soil layers from different periods to mix, impeding stratigraphic dating, and dates cannot be reliably imputed
from those of nearby animal bones since the bones may have been relocated by flooding.
Text 2
Archaeologists used new cosmogenic nuclide dating techniques to reevaluate the ages of A. africanus fossils found in the
Sterkfontein Caves. This technique involves analyzing the cosmogenic nucleotides in the breccia—the matrix of rock
fragments immediately surrounding the fossils. The researchers assert that this approach avoids the potential for misdating
associated with assigning ages based on Sterkfontein’s soil layers or animal bones.
Based on the texts, how would the researchers in Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined portion in Text 1?
They would emphasize the fact that the A. africanus fossils found in the Sterkfontein Caves may have been corrupted in
A. some way over the years.
They would contend that if analyses of surrounding layers and bones in the Sterkfontein Caves were combined, then the
B. dating of the fossils there would be more accurate.
They would argue that their techniques are better suited than other methods to the unique challenges posed by the
C. Sterkfontein Caves.
They would claim that cosmogenic nuclide dating is reliable in the context of the Sterkfontein Caves because it is applied
D. to the fossils directly.
Question ID f7c02e89

Connections
ID: f7c02e89
Text 1
Films and television shows commonly include a long list of credits naming the people involved in a production. Credit
sequences may not be exciting, but they generally ensure that everyone’s contributions are duly acknowledged. Because they
are highly standardized, film and television credits are also valuable to anyone researching the careers of pioneering cast
and crew members who have worked in the mediums.
Text 2
Video game scholars face a major challenge in the industry’s failure to consistently credit the artists, designers, and other
contributors involved in making video games. Without a reliable record of which people worked on which games, questions
about the medium’s development can be difficult to answer, and the accomplishments of all but its best-known innovators
can be difficult to trace.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 1 most likely respond to the discussion in Text 2?
By recommending that the scholars mentioned in Text 2 consider employing the methods regularly used by film and
A. television researchers
By pointing out that credits have a different intended purpose in film and television than in the medium addressed by the
B. scholars mentioned in Text 2
By suggesting that the scholars mentioned in Text 2 rely more heavily on credits as a source of information than film and
C. television researchers do
By observing that a widespread practice in film and television largely prevents the kind of problem faced by the scholars
D. mentioned in Text 2
Question ID 82c05b34

Connections
ID: 82c05b34
Text 1
The live music festival business is growing in event size and genre variety. With so many consumer options, organizers are
finding ways to cement festival attendance as a special experience worth sharing. This phenomenon is linked to the growing
“experiential economy,” where many find it gratifying to purchase lived experiences. To ensure a profitable event, venues
need to consider the overall consumer experience, not just the band lineup.
Text 2
Music festival appearances are becoming a more important part of musicians’ careers. One factor in this shift is the rising
use of streaming services that allow access to huge numbers of songs for a monthly fee, subsequently reducing sales of
full-length albums. With this shift in consumer behavior, musicians are increasingly dependent on revenue from live
performances.
A. Consumers are more interested in paying subscription fees to stream music than in attending music festivals in person.
B. Consumers’ growing interest in purchasing experiences is mostly confined to the music industry.
C. Changing consumer behaviors are leading to changes in music-related businesses.
D. The rising consumer demand for live music festivals also generates higher demand for music streaming platforms.
Question ID 5a4b147c

Connections
ID: 5a4b147c
Text 1
On April 26th, 1777, Sybil Ludington rode 40 miles by horse through Putnam County, New York, to gather up local militia.
British forces were burning nearby Danbury, Connecticut, and Ludington wanted to rally rebel troops to meet them. Although
she was only 16 years old at the time, her brave feat made Ludington one of the heroes of the American Revolution. Since
then, Ludington has been widely celebrated, inspiring postage stamps, statues, and even children’s TV series.
Text 2
Historian Paula D. Hunt researched the life and legacy of Sybil Ludington but found no evidence for her famous ride.
Although many articles and books have been written about Ludington, Hunt believes writers may have been inventing details
about Ludington as they retold her story. Ludington is revered by Americans today, but there simply isn’t a strong historical
record of her heroic ride.
A. Sybil Ludington was crucial to the outcome of the Revolutionary War.
B. Historians have confirmed which route Sybil Ludington took.
C. Sybil Ludington was likely not a real person.
D. Many people have come to admire the story of Sybil Ludington’s ride.
Question ID 84dbd633

Connections
ID: 84dbd633
Text 1
The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event is usually attributed solely to an asteroid impact near Chicxulub,
Mexico. Some scientists argue that volcanic activity was the true cause, as the K-Pg event occurred relatively early in a long
period of eruption of the Deccan Traps range that initially produced huge amounts of climate-altering gases. These
dissenters note that other mass extinctions have coincided with large volcanic eruptions, while only the K-Pg event lines up
with an asteroid strike.
Text 2
In a 2020 study, Pincelli Hull and her colleagues analyzed ocean core samples and modeled climate changes around the K-
Pg event. The team concluded that Deccan Traps gases did affect global conditions prior to the event, but that the climate
returned to normal well before the extinctions began—extinctions that instead closely align with the Chicxulub impact.
Based on the texts, how would Hull’s team (Text 2) most likely respond to the argument in the underlined portion of Text 1?
A. By agreeing that the Chicxulub impact changed the climate and that the Deccan Traps eruption caused the K-Pg event
B. By declaring that the changes in climate caused by the Deccan Traps eruption weren’t the main cause of the K-Pg event
C. By questioning why those scientists assume that the Chicxulub impact caused the Deccan Traps eruption
By asserting that the Deccan Traps eruption had a more significant effect on global conditions than those scientists
D. claim
Question ID 9645f55e

Connections
ID: 9645f55e
Text 1
For decades, bluegrass musicians have debated whether their genre should exclude influences from mainstream genres
such as rock. Many insist that bluegrass is defined by its adherence to the folk music of the US South, out of which
bluegrass emerged. Such “purists,” as they are known, regard the recordings of Bill Monroe, which established the bluegrass
sound in the 1940s, as a standard against which the genre should still be measured.
Text 2
Bluegrass isn’t simply an extension of folk traditions into the era of recorded music. In reality, Bill Monroe created the
bluegrass sound in the 1940s by combining Southern folk music with commercial genres that had arisen only a few decades
before, such as jazz and the blues. Since bluegrass has always been a mixed genre, contemporary bluegrass musicians
should not be forbidden from incorporating into it influences from rock and other mainstream genres.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely regard the perspective of bluegrass purists, as described in
Text 1?
A. As inconsistent, since bluegrass purists themselves enjoy other musical genres
B. As unrealistic, since bluegrass purists have no way of enforcing their musical preferences
C. As shortsighted, because bluegrass could enlarge its audience by including influences from mainstream genres
D. As illogical, because the purists overlook crucial aspects of how the bluegrass sound first originated.
Question ID f1c9d2c1

Connections
ID: f1c9d2c1
Text 1
Stage lighting theorist Adolphe Appia was perhaps the first to argue that light must be considered alongside all the various
elements of a stage to create a single, unified performance. Researcher Kelly Bremner, however, has noted that Appia lacked
technical expertise in the use of light in the theater. As a result of Appia’s inexperience, Bremner argues, Appia’s theory of
light called for lighting practices that weren’t possible until after the advent of electricity around 1881.
Text 2
Adolphe Appia was not an amateur in the practice of lighting. Instead, it is precisely his exposure to lighting techniques at
the time that contributed to his theory on the importance of light. When working as an apprentice for a lighting specialist in
his youth, Appia observed the use of portable lighting devices that could be operated by hand. This experience developed his
understanding of what was possible in the coordination of elements on the stage.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claim about Appia’s level of technical expertise
made by Bremner in Text 1?
A. Many lighting technicians dismissed Appia’s ideas about light on the stage.
B. Appia likely gained a level of technical expertise during his time as an apprentice.
C. Theater practitioners who worked with Appia greatly admired his work.
D. Appia was unfamiliar with the use of music and sound in theater.
Question ID dc043599

Connections
ID: dc043599
Text 1
Most scientists agree that the moon was likely formed after a collision between Earth and a large planet named Theia. This
collision likely created a huge debris field, made up of material from both Earth and Theia. Based on models of this event,
scientists believe that the moon was formed from this debris over the course of thousands of years.
Text 2
Researchers from NASA’s Ames Research Center used a computer to model how the moon could have formed. Although
simulations of the moon’s formation have been done in the past, the team from NASA ran simulations that were much more
detailed. They found that the formation of the moon was likely not a slow process that took many years. Instead, it’s
probable that the moon’s formation happened immediately after impact, taking just a few hours.
Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view the evidence for the
formation of the moon?
A. The author of Text 1 argues that the formation of the moon occurred much earlier than the author of Text 2 argues.
The author of Text 1 suggests there is more evidence confirming the existence of Theia than the author of Text 2
B. suggests.
C. The author of Text 1 claims that the moon’s surface is more similar to Earth’s surface than the author of Text 2 claims.
D. The author of Text 1 believes that the moon formed more slowly than the author of Text 2 believes.
Question ID eae66bf9

Connections
ID: eae66bf9
Text 1
In 2021, a team led by Amir Siraj hypothesized that the Chicxulub impactor—the object that struck the Yucatán Peninsula
sixty-six million years ago, precipitating the mass extinction of the dinosaurs—was likely a member of the class of long-
period comets. As evidence, Siraj cited the carbonaceous chondritic composition of samples from the Chicxulub impact
crater as well as of samples obtained from long-period comet Wild 2 in 2006.
Text 2
Although long-period comets contain carbonaceous chondrites, asteroids are similarly rich in these materials. Furthermore,
some asteroids are rich in iridium, as Natalia Artemieva points out, whereas long-period comets are not. Given the
prevalence of iridium at the crater and, more broadly, in geological layers deposited worldwide following the impact,
Artemieva argues that an asteroid is a more plausible candidate for the Chicxulub impactor.
Based on the texts, how would Artemieva likely respond to Siraj’s hypothesis, as presented in Text 1?
A. By insisting that it overestimates how representative Wild 2 is of long-period comets as a class
B. By arguing that it does not account for the amount of iridium found in geological layers dating to the Chicxulub impact
C. By praising it for connecting the composition of Chicxulub crater samples to the composition of certain asteroids
D. By concurring that carbonaceous chondrites are prevalent in soil samples from sites distant from the Chicxulub crater
Question ID 03080769

Connections
ID: 03080769
Text 1
Philosopher G.E. Moore’s most influential work entails the concept of common sense. He asserts that there are certain
beliefs that all people, including philosophers, know instinctively to be true, whether or not they profess otherwise: among
them, that they have bodies, or that they exist in a world with other objects that have three dimensions. Moore’s careful work
on common sense may seem obvious but was in fact groundbreaking.
Text 2
External world skepticism is a philosophical stance supposing that we cannot be sure of the existence of anything outside
our own minds. During a lecture, G.E. Moore once offered a proof refuting this stance by holding out his hands and saying,
“Here is one hand, and here is another.” Many philosophers reflexively reject this proof (Annalisa Coliva called it “an obviously
annoying failure”) but have found it a challenge to articulate exactly why the proof fails.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 1 most likely respond to proponents of the philosophical stance outlined in
Text 2?
By agreeing with those proponents that Moore’s treatment of positions that contradict his own is fundamentally
A. unserious
By suggesting that an instinctive distaste for Moore’s position is preventing external world skeptics from constructing a
B. sufficiently rigorous refutation of Moore
By arguing that if it is valid to assert that some facts are true based on instinct, it is also valid to assert that some proofs
C. are inadequate based on instinct
By pointing out that Moore would assert that external world skepticism is at odds with other beliefs those proponents
D. must unavoidably hold
Question ID e4e2aeb3

Connections
ID: e4e2aeb3
Text 1
Like the work of Ralph Ellison before her, Toni Morrison’s novels feature scenes in which characters deliver sermons of such
length and verbal dexterity that for a time, the text exchanges the formal parameters of fiction for those of oral literature.
Given the many other echoes of Ellison in Morrison’s novels, both in structure and prose style, these scenes suggest Ellison’s
direct influence on Morrison.
Text 2
In their destabilizing effect on literary form, the sermons in Morrison’s works recall those in Ellison’s. Yet literature by Black
Americans abounds in moments where interpolated speech erodes the division between oral and written forms that
literature in English has traditionally observed. Morrison’s use of the sermon is attributable not only to the influence of Ellison
but also to a community-wide strategy of resistance to externally imposed literary conventions.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely characterize the underlined claim in Text 1?
As failing to consider Ellison’s and Morrison’s equivalent uses of the sermon within the wider cultural context in which
A. they wrote
B. As misunderstanding the function of sermons in novels by Black American writers other than Ellison and Morrison
C. As disregarding points of structural and stylistic divergence between the works of Ellison and those of Morrison
As being indebted to the tradition of resisting literary conventions that privilege written forms, such as novels, over
D. sermons and other oral forms
Question ID 6a1dc7c5

Connections
ID: 6a1dc7c5
Text 1
Virginia Woolf’s 1928 novel Orlando is an oddity within her body of work. Her other major novels consist mainly of scenes of
everyday life and describe their characters’ interior states in great detail, whereas Orlando propels itself through a series of
fantastical events and considers its characters’ psychology more superficially. Woolf herself sometimes regarded the novel
as a minor work, even admitting once that she “began it as a joke.”
Text 2
Like Woolf’s other great novels, Orlando portrays how people’s memories inform their experience of the present. Like those
works, it examines how people navigate social interactions shaped by gender and social class. Though it is lighter in tone—
more entertaining, even—this literary “joke” nonetheless engages seriously with the themes that motivated the four or five
other novels by Woolf that have achieved the status of literary classics.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the assessment of Orlando presented in Text 1?
By conceding that Woolf’s talents were best suited to serious novels but asserting that the humor in Orlando is often
A. effective
By agreeing that Orlando is less impressive than certain other novels by Woolf but arguing that it should still be regarded
B. as a classic
By acknowledging that Orlando clearly differs from Woolf’s other major novels but insisting on its centrality to her body
C. of work nonetheless
By concurring that the reputation of Orlando as a minor work has led readers to overlook this novel but maintaining that
D. the reputation is unearned
Question ID 5e101c70

Connections
ID: 5e101c70
Text 1
Most animals can regenerate some parts of their bodies, such as skin. But when a three-banded panther worm is cut into
three pieces, each piece grows into a new worm. Researchers are investigating this feat partly to learn more about humans’
comparatively limited abilities to regenerate, and they’re making exciting progress. An especially promising discovery is that
both humans and panther worms have a gene for early growth response (EGR) linked to regeneration.
Text 2
When Mansi Srivastava and her team reported that panther worms, like humans, possess a gene for EGR, it caused
excitement. However, as the team pointed out, the gene likely functions very differently in humans than it does in panther
worms. Srivastava has likened EGR to a switch that activates other genes involved in regeneration in panther worms, but
how this switch operates in humans remains unclear.
Based on the texts, what would the author of Text 2 most likely say about Text 1’s characterization of the discovery involving
EGR?
It is reasonable given that Srivastava and her team have identified how EGR functions in both humans and panther
A. worms.
B. It is overly optimistic given additional observations from Srivastava and her team.
C. It is unexpected given that Srivastava and her team’s findings were generally met with enthusiasm.
D. It is unfairly dismissive given the progress that Srivastava and her team have reported.
Question ID 12d81fc1

Connections
ID: 12d81fc1
Text 1
Because literacy in Nahuatl script, the writing system of the Aztec Empire, was lost after Spain invaded central Mexico in the
1500s, it is unclear exactly how meaning was encoded in the script’s symbols. Although many scholars had assumed that
the symbols signified entire words, linguist Alfonso Lacadena theorized in 2008 that they signified units of language smaller
than words: individual syllables.
Text 2
The growing consensus among scholars of Nahuatl script is that many of its symbols could signify either words or syllables,
depending on syntax and content at any given site within a text. For example, the symbol signifying the word huipil (blouse)
in some contexts could signify the syllable “pil” in others, as in the place name “Chipiltepec.” Thus, for the Aztecs, reading
required a determination of how such symbols functioned each time they appeared in a text.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely characterize Lacadena’s theory, as described in Text 1?
A. By praising the theory for recognizing that the script’s symbols could represent entire words
B. By arguing that the theory is overly influenced by the work of earlier scholars
C. By approving of the theory’s emphasis on how the script changed over time
D. By cautioning that the theory overlooks certain important aspects of how the script functioned
Question ID 2c50ed1a

Connections
ID: 2c50ed1a
Text 1
Literary scholars have struggled with the vastness of Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka’s collective works of drama (spanning
over 20 plays in total). It is best, however, to understand Soyinka’s body of work as a dramatist chronologically. Soyinka’s
progression as a playwright can be considered to fall into three periods, with each one representing a particular thematic and
stylistic cohesion: the 1960s, the two decades between 1970 and 1990, and lastly, from roughly 1990 onwards.
Text 2
It is tempting to impose a linear sense of order on the expanse of Wole Soyinka’s body of work as a dramatist. However,
critics who have considered Soyinka’s plays to fit neatly into three phases overlook potential commonalities in Soyinka’s
work that span across these phases. Additionally, this view may discount significant differences in the styles and content of
plays written around the same time.
Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view the study of Soyinka’s
works of drama?
While the author of Text 1 believes that thinking about Soyinka’s works of theater in phases is useful, the author of Text 2
A. views such an approach as limiting.
Although the author of Text 1 claims that Soyinka’s style as a dramatist has evolved over time, the author of Text 2
B. argues that Soyinka’s style has remained consistent throughout his career.
The author of Text 1 considers Soyinka’s plays to showcase his strongest writing, whereas the author of Text 2 believes
C. that Soyinka’s poetry is where he is most skilled.
The author of Text 1 argues that Soyinka’s early plays were his most politically charged, whereas the author of Text 2
D. claims that Soyinka’s most recent plays are the most politicized.
Question ID 17bf10de

Connections
ID: 17bf10de
Text 1
Despite its beautiful prose, The Guns of August, Barbara Tuchman’s 1962 analysis of the start of World War I, has certain
weaknesses as a work of history. It fails to address events in Eastern Europe just before the outbreak of hostilities, thereby
giving the impression that Germany was the war’s principal instigator. Had Tuchman consulted secondary works available to
her by scholars such as Luigi Albertini, she would not have neglected the influence of events in Eastern Europe on Germany’s
actions.
Text 2
Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of August is an engrossing if dated introduction to World War I. Tuchman’s analysis of primary
documents is laudable, but her main thesis that European powers committed themselves to a catastrophic outcome by
refusing to deviate from military plans developed prior to the conflict is implausibly reductive.
Which choice best describes a difference in how the authors of Text 1 and Text 2 view Barbara Tuchman’s The Guns of
August?
The author of Text 1 argues that Tuchman should have relied more on the work of other historians, while the author of
A. Text 2 implies that Tuchman’s most interesting claims result from her original research.
The author of Text 1 believes that the scope of Tuchman’s research led her to an incorrect interpretation, while the author
B. of Text 2 believes that Tuchman’s central argument is overly simplistic.
The author of Text 1 asserts that the writing style of The Guns of August makes it worthwhile to read despite any
perceived deficiency in Tuchman’s research, while the author of Text 2 focuses exclusively on the weakness of Tuchman’s
C. interpretation of events.
The author of Text 1 claims that Tuchman would agree that World War I was largely due to events in Eastern Europe,
while the author of Text 2 maintains that Tuchman would say that Eastern European leaders were not committed to
D. military plans in the same way that other leaders were.
Question ID d0198544

Connections
ID: d0198544
Text 1
In 2007, a team led by Alice Storey analyzed a chicken bone found in El Arenal, Chile, dating it to 1321–1407 CE—over a
century before Europeans invaded the region, bringing their own chickens. Storey also found that the El Arenal chicken
shared a unique genetic mutation with the ancient chicken breeds of the Polynesian Islands in the Pacific. Thus, Polynesian
peoples, not later Europeans, probably first introduced chickens to South America.
Text 2
An Australian research team weakened the case for a Polynesian origin for the El Arenal chicken by confirming that the
mutation identified by Storey has occurred in breeds from around the world. More recently, though, a team led by Agusto
Luzuriaga-Neira found that South American chicken breeds and Polynesian breeds share other genetic markers that
European breeds lack. Thus, the preponderance of evidence now favors a Polynesian origin.
By broadly agreeing with the claim but objecting that the timeline it presupposes conflicts with the findings of the genetic
A. analysis conducted by Storey’s team
By faulting the claim for implying that domestic animals couldn’t have been transferred from South America to the
B. Polynesian Islands as well
By critiquing the claim for being based on an assumption that before the European invasion of South America, the
C. chickens of Europe were genetically uniform
By noting that while the claim is persuasive, the findings of Luzuriaga-Neira’s team provide stronger evidence for it than
D. the findings of the genetic analysis conducted by Storey do
Question ID ab56a107

Connections
ID: ab56a107
Text 1
Digital art, the use of digital technology to create or display images, isn’t really art at all. It doesn’t require as much skill as
creating physical art. “Painting” with a tablet and stylus is much easier than using paint and a brush: the technology is doing
most of the work.
Text 2
The painting programs used to create digital art involve more than just pressing a few buttons. In addition to knowing the
fundamentals of art, digital artists need to be familiar with sophisticated software. Many artists will start by drawing an
image on paper before transforming the piece to a digital format, where they can apply a variety of colors and techniques
that would otherwise require many different traditional tools.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the claims of the author of Text 1?
A. By arguing that a piece of art created digitally can still be displayed traditionally
B. By explaining that it’s actually much harder to use a tablet and stylus to create art than to use paint and a brush
C. By insisting that digital art requires artistic abilities and skill even if it employs less traditional tools
D. By admitting that most digital artists don’t think fundamental drawing skills are important
Question ID f653b273

Connections
ID: f653b273
Text 1
A tiny, unusual fossil in a piece of 99-million-year-old amber is of the extinct species Oculudentavis khaungraae. The O.
khaungraae fossil consists of a rounded skull with a thin snout and a large eye socket. Because these features look like they
are avian, or related to birds, researchers initially thought that the fossil might be the smallest avian dinosaur ever found.
Text 2
Paleontologists were excited to discover a second small fossil that is similar to the strange O. khaungraae fossil but has
part of the lower body along with a birdlike skull. Detailed studies of both fossils revealed several traits that are found in
lizards but not in dinosaurs or birds. Therefore, paleontologists think the two creatures were probably unusual lizards, even
though the skulls looked avian at first.
Based on the texts, what would the paleontologists in Text 2 most likely say about the researchers’ initial thought in Text 1?
It is understandable because the fossil does look like it could be related to birds, even though O. khaungraae is probably
A. a lizard.
B. It is confusing because it isn’t clear what caused the researchers to think that O. khaungraae might be related to birds.
C. It is flawed because the researchers mistakenly assumed that O. khaungraae must be a lizard.
It is reasonable because the O. khaungraae skull is about the same size as the skull of the second fossil but is shaped
D. differently.
Question ID faee8ec7

Connections
ID: faee8ec7
Text 1
It seems clear that emotional contagion (the unintentional transfer of an emotional state from one person to another)
requires physical interaction and the observation of body language. After all, research shows that talking to someone who is
smiling and expressing positive feelings often causes people to respond in a comparably positive way. Similarly, displays of
nervous fidgeting have been found to prompt others to begin behaving more nervously, too.
Text 2
In an experiment using a social networking service, Zeyao Yang and Emilio Ferrara found evidence of emotional contagion in
text-based online interactions. The researchers discovered that reading social media posts that expressed a positive outlook
led people to make more positive posts themselves, while posts with a negative emotional tone led people to make more
negative posts.
Based on the texts, what would the researchers in Text 2 most likely say about the claim underlined in Text 1?
It perpetuates a flawed understanding of emotional contagion, because there isn’t enough evidence to suggest that
A. smiling is a sign of emotional contagion.
It reflects an incomplete view of emotional contagion, because this phenomenon can occur even without in-person
B. interaction.
It’s fairly persuasive, because studies attempting to identify emotional contagion in situations without in-person
C. interaction have thus far yielded unclear results.
It’s mostly accurate, because the social networking study confirmed that emotional contagion primarily occurs in
D. response to negative emotions like nervousness.
Question ID 22105871

Connections
ID: 22105871
Text 1
In a study of insect behavior, Samadi Galpayage and colleagues presented bumblebees with small wooden balls and
observed many of the bees clinging to, rolling, and dragging the objects. The researchers provided no external rewards (such
as food) to encourage these interactions. The bees simply appeared to be playing—and for no other reason than because
they were having fun.
Text 2
Insects do not have cortexes or other brain areas associated with emotions in humans. Still, Galpayage and her team have
shown that bumblebees may engage in play, possibly experiencing some kind of positive emotional state. Other studies have
suggested that bees experience negative emotional states (for example, stress), but as Galpayage and her team have
acknowledged, emotions in insects, if they do indeed exist, are likely very rudimentary.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the underlined portion of Text 1?
A. By objecting that the bees were actually experiencing a negative feeling akin to stress rather than a positive feeling
B. By arguing that some insects other than bumblebees may be capable of experiencing complex emotional states
C. By pointing out that even humans sometimes struggle to have fun while engaging in play
D. By noting that if the bees were truly playing, any positive feelings they may have experienced were probably quite basic
Question ID 27d9bb69

Connections
ID: 27d9bb69
Text 1
Many studies in psychology have shown that people seek out information even when they know in advance that they have no
immediate use for it and that they won’t directly benefit from it. Such findings support the consensus view among
researchers of curiosity: namely, that curiosity is not instrumental but instead represents a drive to acquire information for its
own sake.
Text 2
While acknowledging that acquiring information is a powerful motivator, Rachit Dubey and colleagues ran an experiment to
test whether emphasizing the usefulness of scientific information could increase curiosity about it. They found that when
research involving rats and fruit flies was presented as having medical applications for humans, participants expressed
greater interest in learning about it than when the research was not presented as useful.
Based on the texts, how would Dubey and colleagues (Text 2) most likely respond to the consensus view discussed in Text
1?
A. By suggesting that curiosity may not be exclusively motivated by the desire to merely acquire information
By conceding that people may seek out information that serves no immediate purpose only because they think they can
B. use it later
C. By pointing out that it is challenging to determine when information-seeking serves no goal beyond acquiring information
D. By disputing the idea that curiosity can help explain apparently purposeless information-seeking behaviors
Question ID c885c38b

Connections
ID: c885c38b
Text 1
Conventional wisdom long held that human social systems evolved in stages, beginning with hunter-gatherers forming small
bands of members with roughly equal status. The shift to agriculture about 12,000 years ago sparked population growth that
led to the emergence of groups with hierarchical structures: associations of clans first, then chiefdoms, and finally,
bureaucratic states.
Text 2
In a 2021 book, anthropologist David Graeber and archaeologist David Wengrow maintain that humans have always been
socially flexible, alternately forming systems based on hierarchy and collective ones with decentralized leadership. The
authors point to evidence that as far back as 50,000 years ago some hunter-gatherers adjusted their social structures
seasonally, at times dispersing in small groups but also assembling into communities that included esteemed individuals.
Based on the texts, how would Graeber and Wengrow (Text 2) most likely respond to the “conventional wisdom” presented in
Text 1?
By conceding the importance of hierarchical systems but asserting the greater significance of decentralized collective
A. societies
B. By disputing the idea that developments in social structures have followed a linear progression through distinct stages
C. By acknowledging that hierarchical roles likely weren’t a part of social systems before the rise of agriculture
D. By challenging the assumption that groupings of hunter-gatherers were among the earliest forms of social structure
Question ID de2c2f57

Connections
ID: de2c2f57
Text 1
The fossil record suggests that mammoths went extinct around 11 thousand years (kyr) ago. In a 2021 study of
environmental DNA (eDNA)—genetic material shed into the environment by organisms—in the Arctic, Yucheng Wang and
colleagues found mammoth eDNA in sedimentary layers formed millennia later, around 4 kyr ago. To account for this
discrepancy, Joshua H. Miller and Carl Simpson proposed that arctic temperatures could preserve a mammoth carcass on
the surface, allowing it to leach DNA into the environment, for several thousand years.
Text 2
Wang and colleagues concede that eDNA contains DNA from both living organisms and carcasses, but for DNA to leach
from remains over several millennia requires that the remains be perpetually on the surface. Scavengers and weathering in
the Arctic, however, are likely to break down surface remains well before a thousand years have passed.
Which choice best describes how Text 1 and Text 2 relate to each other?
Text 1 discusses two approaches to studying mammoth extinction without advocating for either, whereas Text 2
A. advocates for one approach over the other.
Text 1 presents findings by Wang and colleagues and gives another research team’s attempt to explain those findings,
B. whereas Text 2 provides additional detail that calls that explanation into question.
Text 1 describes Wang and colleagues’ study and a critique of their methodology, whereas Text 2 offers additional details
C. showing that methodology to be sound.
Text 1 argues that new research has undermined the standard view of when mammoths went extinct, whereas Text 2
D. suggests a way to reconcile the standard view with that new research.
Question ID 159ef46d

Connections
ID: 159ef46d
Text 1
Although food writing is one of the most widely read genres in the United States, literary scholars have long neglected it. And
within this genre, cookbooks attract the least scholarly attention of all, regardless of how well written they may be. This is
especially true of works dedicated to regional US cuisines, whose complexity and historical significance are often
overlooked.
Text 2
With her 1976 cookbook The Taste of Country Cooking, Edna Lewis popularized the refined Southern cooking she had grown
up with in Freetown, an all-Black community in Virginia. She also set a new standard for cookbook writing: the recipes and
memoir passages interspersing them are written in prose more elegant than that of most novels. Yet despite its inarguable
value as a piece of writing, Lewis’s masterpiece has received almost no attention from literary scholars.
Based on the two texts, how would the author of Text 1 most likely regard the situation presented in the underlined sentence
in Text 2?
A. As typical, because scholars are dismissive of literary works that achieve popularity with the general public
As unsurprising, because scholars tend to overlook the literary value of food writing in general and of regional cookbooks
B. in particular
As justifiable, because Lewis incorporated memoir into The Taste of Country Cooking, thus undermining its status as a
C. cookbook
As inevitable, because The Taste of Country Cooking was marketed to readers of food writing and not to readers of other
D. genres
Question ID 7b55e895

Connections
ID: 7b55e895
Text 1
Some animal species, like the leopard, can be found in many kinds of areas. On the other hand, tropical mountain bird
species tend to be limited in the types of spaces they can call home. This is because many mountain bird species are only
able to survive at very specific elevations. Over time, these species have likely become used to living at a specific
temperature. Therefore, these species struggle to survive at elevations that are warmer or colder than they are used to.
Text 2
A new study reviewed observations of nearly 3,000 bird species to understand why tropical mountain bird species live at
specific elevations. They noted that when a mountain bird species was found in an area with many other bird species, it
tended to inhabit much smaller geographic areas. It is thus likely that competition for resources with other species, not
temperature, limits where these birds can live.
A. Tropical mountain bird species are restricted in where they can live.
B. Scientists have better tools to observe tropical mountain birds than they did in the past.
C. Little is known about how tropical mountain birds build their nests.
D. Tropical mountain bird species that live at high elevations tend to be genetically similar.
Question ID c106b9f7

Connections
ID: c106b9f7
Text 1
American sculptor Edmonia Lewis is best known for her sculptures that represent figures from history and mythology, such
as The Death of Cleopatra and Hagar. Although Lewis sculpted other subjects, her career as a sculptor is best represented
by the works in which she depicted these historical and mythical themes.
Text 2
Art historians have typically ignored the many portrait busts Edmonia Lewis created. Lewis likely carved these busts
(sculptures of a person’s head) frequently throughout her long career. She is known for her sculptures that represent
historical figures, but Lewis likely supported herself financially by carving portrait busts for acquaintances who paid her to
represent their features. Thus, Lewis’s portrait busts are a central aspect of her career as a sculptor.
A. Lewis’s portrait busts have overshadowed her other work.
B. The Death of Cleopatra is Lewis’s most famous piece.
C. Sculpting representations of historical figures was a short-lived trend.
D. Lewis’s works are varied in the subjects they depict.

Question ID 6977d22b

Connections
ID: 6977d22b
Text 1
Ecologists have long wondered how thousands of microscopic phytoplankton species can live together near ocean surfaces
competing for the same resources. According to conventional wisdom, one species should emerge after outcompeting the
rest. So why do so many species remain? Ecologists’ many efforts to explain this phenomenon still haven’t uncovered a
satisfactory explanation.
Text 2
Ecologist Michael Behrenfeld and colleagues have connected phytoplankton’s diversity to their microscopic size. Because
these organisms are so tiny, they are spaced relatively far apart from each other in ocean water and, moreover, experience
that water as a relatively dense substance. This in turn makes it hard for them to move around and interact with one another.
Therefore, says Behrenfeld’s team, direct competition among phytoplankton probably happens much less than previously
thought.
Based on the texts, how would Behrenfeld and colleagues (Text 2) most likely respond to the “conventional wisdom”
discussed in Text 1?
A. By arguing that it is based on a misconception about phytoplankton species competing with one another
By asserting that it fails to recognize that routine replenishment of ocean nutrients prevents competition between
B. phytoplankton species
C. By suggesting that their own findings help clarify how phytoplankton species are able to compete with larger organisms
By recommending that more ecologists focus their research on how competition among phytoplankton species is
D. increased with water density
Question ID 8889d6e2

Connections
ID: 8889d6e2
Text 1
An excavation in Chiquihuite Cave in central Mexico has upended the belief that approximately 13,000 years ago, a group
known as the Clovis people were the first human inhabitants of North America. More than 200 crude stone tools were found
embedded in a layer of earth that is up to 33,150 years old, revealing that humans occupied the cave thousands of years
before the Clovis people reached the continent.
Text 2
The objects uncovered in Chiquihuite Cave are intriguing, but it is premature to characterize them as tools. The stone pieces
are so roughly shaped that they may have simply fractured from rocks during natural geological activity in the cave.
Moreover, their unearthing has thus far not been accompanied by discoveries of other signs of human activity or even traces
of human DNA from surfaces.
By suggesting that it draws a plausible connection between two groups of people but will need to be confirmed with
A. further study
B. By asserting that it rests on an assumption about the stone pieces that is not sufficiently supported by available evidence
C. By acknowledging that it will most likely be proved correct when the stone pieces undergo more detailed analysis
By pointing out that it fails to account for evidence that the Clovis people were active on the continent as early as is
D. commonly thought
Question ID 88bb0f6f

Connections
ID: 88bb0f6f
Text 1
A team led by Bernardo Strassburg has found that rewilding farmland (returning the land to its natural state) could help
preserve biodiversity and offset carbon emissions. The amount of farmland that would need to be restored, they found, is
remarkably low. Rewilding a mere 15% of the world’s current farmland would prevent 60% of expected species extinctions
and help absorb nearly 299 gigatons of carbon dioxide—a clear win in the fight against the biodiversity and climate crises.
Text 2
While Strassburg’s team’s findings certainly offer encouraging insight into the potential benefits of rewilding, it’s important to
consider potential effects on global food supplies. The researchers suggest that to compensate for the loss of food-
producing land, remaining farmland would need to produce even more food. Thus, policies focused on rewilding farmland
must also address strategies for higher-yield farming.
Which choice best describes a difference in how the author of Text 1 and the author of Text 2 view Strassburg’s team’s
study?
The author of Text 2 approaches the study’s findings with some caution, whereas the author of Text 1 is optimistic about
A. the reported potential environmental benefits.
The author of Text 2 claims that the percentage of farmland identified by Strassburg’s team is too low for rewilding to
B. achieve meaningful results, whereas the author of Text 1 thinks the percentage is sufficient.
The author of Text 2 believes that the results described by Strassburg’s team are achievable in the near future, whereas
C. the author of Text 1 argues that they likely aren’t.
The author of Text 2 focuses on rewilding’s effect on carbon emissions, whereas the author of Text 1 focuses on its
D. effect on biodiversity.
Question ID f878693b

Connections
ID: f878693b
Text 1
In 1954 George Balanchine choreographed a production of The Nutcracker, a ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. It has since
become a tradition for hundreds of dance companies in North America to stage The Nutcracker each year. But the show is
stuck in the past, with an old-fashioned story and references, so it should no longer be produced. Ballet needs to create new
traditions if it wants to stay relevant to contemporary audiences.
Text 2
The Nutcracker is outdated, but it should be kept because it’s a holiday favorite and provides substantial income for some
dance companies. Although it can be behind the times, there are creative ways to update the show. For example, Debbie
Allen successfully modernized the story. Her show Hot Chocolate Nutcracker combines ballet, tap, hip-hop, and other styles,
and it has been gaining in popularity since it opened in 2009.
By questioning the idea that the story of The Nutcracker is stuck in the past and by rejecting the suggestion that
A. contemporary audiences would enjoy an updated version
By agreeing that contemporary audiences have largely stopped going to see performances of The Nutcracker because
B. it’s so old-fashioned
By pointing out that most dance companies could increase their incomes by offering modernized versions of The
C. Nutcracker
By suggesting that dance companies should consider offering revised versions of The Nutcracker instead of completely
D. rejecting the show
Question ID 35e21b06

Connections
ID: 35e21b06
Text 1
Dominique Potvin and colleagues captured five Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen) to test a new design for attaching
tracking devices to birds. As the researchers fitted each magpie with a tracker attached by a small harness, they noticed
some magpies without trackers pecking at another magpie’s tracker until it broke off. The researchers suggest that this
behavior could be evidence of magpies attempting to help another magpie without benefiting themselves.
Text 2
It can be tempting to think that animals are deliberately providing help when we see them removing trackers and other
equipment from one another, especially when a species is known to exhibit other cooperative behaviors. At the same time, it
can be difficult to exclude the possibility that individuals are simply interested in the equipment because of its novelty,
curiously pawing or pecking at it until it detaches.
Based on the texts, how would the author of Text 2 most likely respond to the researchers’ perspective in Text 1 on the
behavior of the magpies without trackers?
A. That behavior might have been due to the novelty of the magpies’ captive setting rather than to the novelty of the tracker.
That behavior likely indicates that the magpies were deliberately attempting to benefit themselves by obtaining the
B. tracker.
That behavior may not be evidence of selflessness in Gymnorhina tibicen because not all the captured magpies
C. demonstrated it.
That behavior might be adequately explained without suggesting that the magpies were attempting to assist the other
D. magpie.
Question ID f52cc78c

Connections
ID: f52cc78c
Text 1
Polar bears sustain themselves primarily by hunting seals on the Arctic sea ice, but rising ocean temperatures are causing
the ice to diminish, raising concerns about polar bear population declines as these large predators’ seal-hunting habitats
continue to shrink. A 2020 study examining polar bear populations across the Arctic concluded that populations affected by
sea-ice loss are at great risk of extinction by the end of the twenty-first century.
Text 2
Monitoring carried out by researchers from the Norwegian Polar Institute shows that the polar bear population on the Arctic
archipelago of Svalbard remains stable and well nourished despite rapidly declining sea ice in recent years. The researchers
attribute this population’s resilience in part to a shift in feeding strategies: in addition to hunting seals, the Svalbard polar
bears have begun relying on a diet of reindeer meat and birds’ eggs.
Based on the texts, how would the researchers in Text 2 most likely respond to the conclusion presented in the underlined
portion of Text 1?
A. By noting that it neglects the possibility of some polar bear populations adapting to changes in their environment
By suggesting that it is likely incorrect about the rates at which warming ocean temperatures have caused sea ice to melt
B. in the Arctic
C. By asserting that it overlooks polar bear populations that have not yet been affected by loss of seal-hunting habitats
D. By arguing that it fails to account for polar bears’ reliance on a single seal-hunting strategy

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Question ID 97e5bf55

Assessment Test Domain Skill Difficulty

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

A. John Fletcher’s writing has a unique, readily identifiable style.

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

A. Only countries of a certain population size should implement mandatory voting.

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

B. Ailey’s work was strongly influenced by jazz.

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

C. Changing consumer behaviors are leading to changes in music-related businesses.

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

A. Sybil Ludington was crucial to the outcome of the Revolutionary War.

B. Historians have confirmed which route Sybil Ludington took.

C. Sybil Ludington was likely not a real person.

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

A. As inconsistent, since bluegrass purists themselves enjoy other musical genres

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

A. By insisting that it overestimates how representative Wild 2 is of long-period comets as a class

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

A. Lewis’s portrait busts have overshadowed her other work.

B. The Death of Cleopatra is Lewis’s most famous piece.

C. Sculpting representations of historical figures was a short-lived trend.

D. Lewis’s works are varied in the subjects they depict.

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

SAT Reading and Writing Craft and Structure Cross-Text

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